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Mandela fights infection at home

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The 94-year-old former president was discharged from the hospital last week

Mandela will continue receiving treatment at his home, Zuma says

He has not appeared in public since South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010

South African President Jacob Zuma urged his countrymen Monday to keep the ailing Nelson Mandela in their prayers.

"He remains an important symbol of our struggle for liberation and of the successful transition from apartheid colonialism to a non-racial and democratic society," Zuma said in a New Year message to the nation.

1990: Mandela released from prison

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"That is absolutely not true. My grandfather is well," she said. "It can be very, very hurtful for us to hear these messages out there in the social media that our grandfather is going to go home to die. It is insensitive."

Mandela, 94, was treated for an acute respiratory infection in 2011.

He was hospitalized for a lung infection on December 8; and on December 15, he underwent surgery for removal of gallstones.

Despite his rare public appearances in recent years, Mandela retains his popularity and is considered a hero of democracy in the nation.

South Africans celebrated his 94th birthday in July by participating in good deeds nationwide to honor the legacy of the famous statesman.

Citizens performed at least 67 minutes of public service on his birthday, a reference to the number of years he devoted to helping others.

Mandela's impact has extended far beyond the borders of his own country. After he left office in 1999, he was involved in international situations ranging from conflicts in Africa to the Mideast.

In January 2000, he addressed the United Nations Security Council, appealing for help in ending the brutal civil war between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis in Burundi. In December 2003, he participated in the signing of the Geneva Accords for peace in the Middle East.

A bronze statue of Mandela was unveiled in Parliament Square in London in 2007, and in 2009 the United Nations designated July 18 as Mandela Day for that year.